Stage-lift flowing device



Dec. 9, 1930. A. BOYNTON 1,784,720

STAGE LIFT FLOWING DEVICE Original Filed Dec) 10, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l 10, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 8 v 1 A a 2 L5 1/ wuenfoz YN TON) fiLexnnoERBo mum,

Dec. 9, 1930. A. BOYNTON STAGE LIFT FLOWING DEVICE Original Filed Dec Patented Dec. 9, 1930 UNITED STATES ALEXANDER BOYNTON, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS STAGE-LIFT FLOWING DEVICE Application filed December 10, 1926, Serial No. 153,950. Renewed August 16, 1928.

This invention relates to stage lift flowing devices especially adapted for use in wells.

Briefly stated, an lmportant aim of this invention is to provide means whereby a compressed fluid, such as air or gas, may be advantageously employed in the production of oil to avoid the necessity of employing reciprocating pumps, shackle lines, and other necessary equipment which in addition to having high first and maintenance costs are troublesome to keep in order.

A further and equally important object is to provide a stage lift floating device having an induction valve having means whereby the fouling of the same by mud, gum, and the like, is avoided whereb a highly sensitive construction is providedl Another object is to provide a stage lift flowing device which is of highly simplified construction, durable in use, and which may be operated without the exercise of unusual skill.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following de scription. I

In the accompanying drawings formin a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is an elevation of an automatic valve by which the flowing operation is terminated when the level of the fluid in the tubing drops below-a predetermined point;

Figures 2 and 2A are sectional views illustrating a tubing in place in the casing of a well and equipped with induction valves embodied in the invention;

Figure 3 is a sectional view through an induction valve embodied in the invention;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 44 of Figure 3.

In the drawings, the numeral 5 designates a casing equipped at the upper end thereof with a casing head 6 and an automatic control valve by which the flowing o eration is terminated when the level of the uid in the tubing drops below a predetermined point Figure 2 illustrates that the tubing 8 1s provided at suitably spaced points with 1nduction valves 9 for the admission of a lift- 7 ing fluid such as compressed air or gas from I the casing.

Figure 2A illustrates that the lower portion of the tubing is provided with a settling chamber 10 of a suitable length and diameter and havin the lower end thereof closed by a cap 11. ud and the like which is taken into the tubing by the gas and oil may settle into the chamber 10 and when the tubing is pulled to the surface for any reason it 13 a simple matter to detach the cap 11 and thoroughly clean the sediment chamber.

Each inlet valve 9 has a flow passage 12 of as nearly the same diameter and cross-sectional formation as the bore of the tubing as possible to provide an even and smooth passage for the alternate slugs of oil and lifting fluid. In this connection, it is noted that the continuation 14 of the tubing has a very gradually bent elbow 15 to conduct the flow, both lifting and lifted, to a desired point. The very gentle curvature of the elbow 15 oflers the least ossible resistance and obstruct'ion to the ow of the fluids.

Figure 3 illustrates that the body 9 has one side thereof provided with an external longitudinally extending rib or boss within which a valve chamber 17 is located. The upper end of the elongated valve chamber 17 is threaded for the reception of a plug 18. Suitable means such as a transverse slot in the rear end of the lug permits of enga ement by a tool w ereby the plug may be tightened or removed.

In carrying out the invention, the body of "the valve chamber may be cored out as indicated at 19 to provide a floor orflat against which the forward end of a drill ma be engaged when it is desired to drill out t e valve chamber 17. The forward end of the drill employed in drilling out the chamber 17 is, of course, tapered to a point and forms a valve seat 21 at the inner end of an inlet port or passage 22. The port 22 may be provided by amending a drill through the chamber 1? and engaging the same with the lowermost point of the socket formed by the lower end of the drill employed in making the chamber 17. In other words, the tapered forward end of the drill employed in making the chamber serves the same purpose as a center punch would preparatory to the drilling of the port 22.

With reference to Figure 4 it will be seen that opposite sides of the valve chamber 17 are provided with openings 24 and 25, the opening or port 25 being somewhat less in diameter than the diameter of the opening 24 and being formed by the extension of a drill through the opening 24 as is believed to be clear. Also, one end of the port 25 is provided with a seat for engagement by a ball valve 26. A plug 28 is threaded into the opening 24 to close the same and the rear end of the plug may be peened to provide a fluid tight seal. The plug 28 may, if desired, be formed from a wrought iron bar which may be twisted ofl or otherwise severed when firmly seated in the opening 24.

With reference to Figure 3 it will be seen that the ball valve 26 cooperates with the upper and lower seats to avoid the leakage of oil from the tubing and to cut off the supply of a compressed lifting fluid to the tubing when the level of the fluid in the tubin drops below a predetermined point. In exp aining this, it is pointed out that when the flowing device is not in operation the ball valve 26 will naturally engage the seat 21 to prevent the leakage of fluid from the tubing.

However, when the flowing device is in operation and there is suflicient head of fluid in the tubing the compressed lifting fluid, such as gas or air, will unseat the ball valve 26 slightly and will pass up through the chamber 17 and enter the tubing to form slugs which as the same expand will exert a definite lifting force on the column of oil above.

It will be seen that the diameter of the ball valve 26 is sufliciently less than the diameter of the valve chamber 17 to permit of the movement of a compressed lifting fluid into the tubing by way of the chamber 17. The head of oil in the tubin will cut down the velocity of the lifting fluld in the chamber 17 so that the ball valve 26 will not be elevated fully. Continued movement of the compressed fluid through the chamber 17 will, however, result in a drop in the level of the fluid in the tubing and this will in turn be followed by a rapid inrush of air by way of the chamber 17. When the lifting fluid is thus allowed to rapidly rush through the chamber 17 the ball valve 26 is lifted and engaged with the seat at the inner end of the port 25- so that the movement" of additional lifting fluid through the chamber 17 and into the tubing by way of a particular valve is cut off.

Particular attention is directed to the fact that the upper seat for the ball valve 26 is in one side wall of the passage 17 and the line of force necessary to keep the valve 26 in sealingengagement with the upper seat is necessarily substantially horizontal or at right angles to the force of gravity.

The placing of the upper seat in a substantially vertical wall of'the chamber 17 avoids sticking of the valve should-it happen that mud, gum, or other sediment is present on the seat and tends to stick the ball valve. Should mud, gum, or the like, be present on the seat the tendency of the ball valve to roll out of engagement with its seat will avoid such disadvantage.

Should the ball and .seat be in line with the force of gravity any slight accumulation of mud, gum, or other sediment would tend to stick a ball valve. In such case, the ball is pulling away from its seat and tends to form a vacuum, which vacuum overcomes the gravity of the ball or interferes with it at least and prevents the same from functioning with entire certainty or with the fullest degree of sensitiveness.

The ball and seat illustrated in this application will not be open to the disadvantage referred to in the foregoing paragraph for the reason that the ball will tend to break a vacuum by rolling away from its seat.

In the installation of the improved stage lift flowing device, one of the valves for the compressed fluid may be placed approximate ly 450 feet from the surface and from 450 feet down to about 1050 feet one valve may be placed at every 120 feet. From 1050 feet to 1450 feet the valves may be approximately 100 feet apart. From 1450 feet to 1690 feet the valves may advantageously be 80 feet apart and below 1690 feet the valves may be spaced approximately 60 feet from each other.

' Below the inlet valves for the compressed lifting fluid a check valve 40 may be located to retain in the tubing that oil that may not have been blown out in the flowing process. It is important to note that when the balls 26 are engaged with the lower seats 21 the same cooperate with the check valve .40 in retaining oil in the tubing. Necessarily some oil will settle back after a well has flowed, unless an unnecessary amount of gas is wasted to perfectly clean the tubing. There is no reason why this oil should be allowed to settle back into the well exteriorly of the tubing and build up 'a back pressure against the oil seeking to come into the well. For that reason the check valve 40 is employed. Furthermore, oil which is allowed to flow back into the well exteriorly of the tubing would not only waste energy, but would result in agitation which assists 7 in liberating the lighter properties of crude oil. Therefore, the check valve prevents unnecessary back pressure on the producing sands, prevents agitation, and avoids loss of energy.

The oil enters the tubing by way of a plurality' of inlets 51 and as the level of the oil in the tubing is about 300 feet above the level of the oil in the casing several valves will be exposed to rmit of the admission of compressed liftmg fluid such as gas or air to the tubing at a point below the level of oil therein. The highly compressed lifting fluid which enters by way of the passage 17 partakes of expansion upon entering the tubing and it is this expansion and consequent pressure which is relied on to bring the oil to the surface.

When the level of oil in the tubing drops below a predetermined point with respect to a particular valve, the free inrush of air or gas by way of the passage 17 in that valve will result in the expansion of the air or gas in the passage 17 and this, of course, will immediately elevate the ball valve 26 so that the inrush of air or gas through the passage 17 promptly seats the ball valve. In other words, so long as the level of oil is above a predetermined point with respect to a particular valve the admission of a compressed lifting fluid by way of'that valve is permitted, but when the level of the oil drops below the required point in the tubing the admission of additional lifting fluid by way of a particular valve is cut off.

In operation a highly compressed fluid is introduced into the casing and should it be that the oil within the tubing extends to within four or live hundred feet of the surface the uppermost induction valve may be relied on to admit sufficient compressed lifting fluid to blow the oil above the same to the surface.

As the level of oil drops additional valves come into play and the rapid rush of the compressed lifting fluid through a particular valve due to the drop of the level of oil in the tubing will result in the movement of the ball valves to closed positions to render some of the valves inoperative for the present. This action, however, never occurs until the fluid level in the well has been lowered to a oint where at least the next valve is exposed.

he lifting fluid, either compressed air or gas, then enters at the lowermost exposed valve until the oil above that valve or a substantial part of it has been blown out through the tubing. The next valve below has then become exposed by the drop of the level of the fluid in the casing and that valve will come into play.

This process will continue until the level of the fluid outside of the tubing has been lowered to the perforations 51. When the perforations 51 are thus exposed, the well, of course, is pumped off and the pressure of the lifting fluid will be quickly relieved through these perforations. When the pressure of the lifting fluid is thus rapldly decreased the automatic valve illustrated in Figure 1 will terminate the flowing opera- "tion. A passage 60 establishes communication between the casing and the automatic control valve.

By way of example, it mi ht be pointed out that if there are 200 poun s of air or gas in the casing and 50 pounds of back pressure in the tubing there will be 150 pounds of air or gas capable of lifting 500 feet of oil at 30 pounds to the hundred feet. Therefore, if the valves are spaced approximately 100 feet a art below the level of the oil within the tu ing five valves may be exposed and all of these valves would be closed except the lower one or two because the back pressure there would not admit the lifting fluid in a compressed state fast enough to close the lower valves, but would admit enough highly compressed lifting fluid, such as a1r or gas, to flow the oil from the tubing above. In other words, the fluid having the lifting force may enter the tubing only at points where substantial heads of oil are encountered.

Compressed air or gas entering through a particular valve has less volume than it assumes after it has risen appreciably in the tubing and the expansion of the air or gas after it enters the tubing is relied on to lift the head of fluid.

Wit-h 100 pounds of effective pressure, that is, exclusive of back pressure in the casing, and the level of the oil in the tubing is 300 feet above the level of the oil in the casing, several valves in the tubing will be exposed to the admission of air or gas below the surface of the oil in the tubing and the compressed air or gas would enter by way of the exposed valves and expand below slugs of' oil, which expansion and consequent lifting is accelerated as the air or gas approaches the surface.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A stage lift flowing device for wells com rising a body having a flow passage and a va ve chamber, one end of said valve chamber being provided with a tapered valve seat and an inlet port, the other end of the chamber being threaded, a plug in the threaded end of the chamber, opposite walls of said chamber being provided with substantially aligned horizontal openings, one of which constitutes a port, a plug in the other one of the aligned openings, the said second-named port being rovided with a vertical valve seat, and a all valve engageable with said vertical seat.

2. In a fluid lift for wells, a body having a substantially vertical chamber provided with inlet and outlet ports for the passage of a pressure fluid, one of the ports being provided with a substantially vertical seat in a vertical portion of said chamber, a valve controlling said ports and engageable with said vertical seat, said valve being maintained on said vertical seat solely by the difference in pressures interiorly and exteriorly of the chamber.

3. In a fluid lift for wells, a body havin a substantially vertical chamber provide with inlet and outlet ports for the passage of a pressure fluid, one of the ports being above the other port and provided in a vertical portion of said chamber with a vertical seat, and a ball valve engageable with said vertical seat and held thereon solely by the difference in pressures interiorly and exteriorly of the chamber.

4. In a fluid lift for wells, a body having a chamber provided with a lower inlet port having a seat, one side wall of the chamber being substantially vertical and provided at a point above said inlet port with an outlet port having a substantially vertical seat, and a ball valve engageable with said seats and held on the vertical seat solely by the difference in pressures interiorly and exteriorly of the chamber.

5. In a fluid lift for wells, a body having substantially vertical flow and valve chambers adapted for the passage of a pressure fluid, there being a port between said flow and valve chambers and provided with a substantially vertical seat in a vertical portion of said chamber, and a ball valve in said valve chamber and engageable with said vertical seat and held thereon by the difl'erence in pressures in the flow and valve chambers.

6. In a fluid lift for wells, a body having an external rib provided with a substantially vertical valve chamber adapted for the passage of a pressure fluid, the body also being provided with a flow chamber and a port establishing communication between the chambers, said port having a substantially vertical seat in a vertical portion of said chamber, a ball valve in said valve chamber and engageable with said seat and bein held thereon by the difference in pressures etween the flow and valve chambers, there being an inlet port for said valve chamber and provided with a seat adapted for engagement by said ball valve.

In testimony whereof I aflix m signature.

ALEXANDER BO NTON. 

